Attachment is the strong and long-lasting bond that forms between a child and their caregiver during the early years of life. It has a big impact on your child’s growth, how they show feelings, and build relationships.
A child who has trouble forming secure bonds or has an attachment issue lacks the abilities needed to create important connections with others. Nevertheless, by using the correct tools and dedicating time, effort, patience, and care, it is possible to address and fix attachment issues. Between half and four-fifths of children in Foster Care show symptoms of attachment disorders. A lot of these kids are aggressive and violent. When they grow up, they might have different mental issues and personality disorders like antisocial personality, narcissistic personality, borderline personality, and psychopathic personality. Therapeutic parenting is often needed to help these children recover.
Many parents are not familiar with this parenting method and it requires a lot of effort and planning. Attachment promoting parenting is based on attachment theory and a set of principles.
Being sensitive
• Being quick to respond
• Paying attention to what the child is interested in
• Sharing similar experiences with others.
• Making people feel safe and secure
To put these principles into practice, parents need to:
Are very dedicated to the child.
• Be good at thinking about things.
• Have good understanding.
• Feel somewhat secure in your emotional connections.
This parenting style aligns with a proven and successful therapy for children with trauma and attachment issues called Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy. Many foster and adoptive parents feel confused and worried by their children’s unusual and unsettling behaviors. Parents often don’t understand why their child behaves the way they do. They might think, “My child is safe now, why doesn’t he understand?” Understanding the extent of harm from past mistreatment can be challenging.
Therapeutic parenting using Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy focuses on helping parents understand the reasons behind their child’s behaviors. Exploring further to comprehend what is driving the child. All actions have a purpose and serve a function; however, sometimes behaviors that were helpful in one place may not be suitable in a new environment. If your parents didn’t take good care of you when you were young, leaving you hungry and alone for long periods, it makes sense that you might start storing food, overeating, and seeking help from anyone you can. When a child is placed in a foster or adoptive home with loving and attentive parents, that behavior is no longer necessary.